Even amidst your thousand denials,
I have sensed a hundred thousand words of consent.
Even through a mere blink of the eyes, it can be understood;
Even from silent lips, the language of the heart
Can be easily discerned.
To speak the mind’s inner truth, one does not need
An isolated, lonely world.
Even within a crowded space, one can experience
A fresh, new definition of love.
To comfort the heart, there is no need
For the southern spring breeze, a beautiful orchard,
A rainbow in the sky, a chilly wind,
The flowing stream, or a bountiful abundance of flowers.
Even amidst a chaotic clamor, love can be understood—
All it takes to recognize a heart is a heart itself.
By the chains of whose authority
Are your feet bound within a restricted boundary (Lakshman Rekha)?
Under whose strict and watchful discipline
Are your eyes filled with a torrential downpour of July rains (Shravana)?
Upon whose courtyard altar (Chaura) are you compelled
To light the evening lamp?
Here, a pair of eyes has been searching for ages
For your footprints in the courtyard and
The playful restlessness of your gaze.
Some say the rain arrives
Bringing with it the seasonal cycle of union.
Yet here, burning in the agonizing fires of separation,
Stands a lush green forest,
Desperately searching for the touch of your soft hands—
And the soothing coolness of love.
— Ratnamaya Tripathy
Adhyayana, Balangir
Original Odia : Ratnamaya Tripathy
Translated by : Dr. Khyatimaya Tripathy
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